Stern is, of course, thrilled to be a part of the honorable night. "It's the highlight of my year," she admits. And it's not just inspirational — Stern also warns you'll be reaching for that tissue box during the two-hour broadcast. "It's very emotional," she says. "We were crying backstage as the stories were unfolding."

Of the tails (sorry, tales) viewers can expect to see, there's amputee Chi-Chi, a joyful therapy dog who survived a horrible past, and K-9 pup Ruby, who tracked down a missing teenager in 2017, saving his life. Need those tissues yet?

The show also fetes Stern for her generous work with shelter animals, honoring her with Hallmark's "Adoption Ever After" award. It is truly a magical, tail-wagging, good time.